$195 million in federal funding available for mental health, substance abuse

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recently announced that $195 million in new federal funding is available for health centers to increase access to mental-health and substance-abuse services.

“The No. 1 thing I hear in communities that have been impacted by the opioid epidemic is that they need more resources to increase access to both substance-abuse treatment and mental-health services,” Colorado Congressman Scott Tipton said.

“Colorado’s health-care providers are some of the most dedicated in the country, and additional resources will further support their efforts to fight opioid abuse and address mental illness in our communities.”

The new funding is part of the Access Increases for Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (AIMS) program. Applications for AIMS can be found at bphc.hrsa.gov and are due by July 26.

Additionally, the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy has announced that $3 million will be available for rural communities wishing to expand opioid-related health-care services. Applications for this program can be found at http://www.hrsa.gov/ruralhealth and are due by July 21.

The graduates of Vail Mountain School’s class of 2019 will be off to far-flung destinations next fall, set to enter college in one of 16 different states or explore the world on a gap year. One grad is even attending college in Canada.